Warriors of Fire
***DO NOT STEAL OR TAKE CREDIT FOR THIS FANFIC*** I am not taking credit for Warriors, Wings of Fire, or this idea (I mean do you even KNOW how many Warriors and WoF crossover fics there are on this wiki???) I just didn't feel like they were done super well rip and I have ideas of my own and I'm bored and mostly I want to give dragons warrior names because why not? Also this title (which apparently other people have thought of and I didn't steal I promise) is awesome. (Those are great reasons for a fanfic, Dreaming -_-) I'll be making a blog post I'll link here for alligences and a map because obviously the territory needs to be shaken up a bit for this to work, and check this out if you have some time and actually want to be part of this fanfic (in a way...) Basic Info - Clans are IceClan, MudClan, SkyClan, SandClan, NightClan, SeaClan, and RainClan. There is no StarClan-y thing. Apprentices start at three and graduate at seven. (Because dragon aging is very different from cat aging :p) Every clan can have prophecy powers, and there is only one moon. In this world, not all dragons are in the clans. Many live as pets in a life governed by scavengers, who dominate most of the continent. Prologue: Willowtail, the medicine dragon of MudClan, sat in the enterance to her den, eyeing her obviously jumpy clanmates. For days they had been on edge, ever since Oasisstar had died. Oasisstar's former deputy, Lizardfang, had died of a disease that had been ravaging several of the Clans. Thankfully, MudClan had not contracted it, but the effects on the other Clans were felt by them deeply. Oasisstar had been ravaged by fever, clearly not in her right mind as she named a new deputy, Burnscar. In fact, she had named two others, Blisterfang and Blazelilly, deputy as well. She switched so many times that no one was sure who the deputy was. None of them seemed good choices, not for any of the Clans. Burnscar was cruel and always causing fights at gatherings, Blazelilly was bubble-headed and vain, and Blisterfang was manipulative and sinister, by far the worst of the three. Willowtail herself considered none of the choices valid. If it were up to her, she would have Goldheart, the SandClan medicine dragon, pick a new leader. But tonight, after days of knowing nothing, was the Gathering. Tonight, SandClan had promised when they sent the message, would a new leader out of the three lead SandClan to the Gathering. All of MudClan, and all of the other Clans, Willowtail was sure, were excitedly speculating about who it would be. Every warrior and apprentice of MudClan is secretly hoping that they will be chosen to attend the Gathering tonight Willowtail smiled to herself. As a full fledged medicine dragon, and the only medicine dragon of MudClan, Willowtail was certain to be attending the Gathering. Of course the clan deputy, Gorseflight, and leader, Moorstar, would attend, and elders were too old and dragonets too young to make the trip, but practically every other dragon in the Clan would be earnestly hoping the evening patrol would return soon. On a normal night there might be a couple of hunting patrols out as well, but on the night of a Gathering, everyone stuck close to the camp. The sooner everyone was in the camp, the sooner Moorstar would call the Clan meeting to announce who would be going to the Gathering. "Willowtail!" An excited voice broke her thoughts. Willowtail turned with a fond smile to the caramel-colored dragonet bouncing up to her feet. He skidded to a stop right before smashing into her, spreading his wings and flapping them twice for balance. His honey gold eyes lit up his eager smile as he gasped out "do you think Moorstar will choose me to go to the Gathering tonight?" "Possibly, Timberwing" Willowtail told her excitable apprentice, pulling him under her wing with a smile. He leaned into her for a second, and then bounced out to look her in the eyes. "I didn't go last Gathering, right? So she's got to pick me now!" Timberwing's voice rose to almost a wail on the last word, and Willowtail shushed him. "Timberwing, that isn't how it works. You went for your first gathering, of course, and you will certainly go to others, but not every apprentice goes to every Gathering, or even every other gathering. It would get crowded quickly, especially with seven Clans attending." "You don't think I'll get to go!" Timberwing cried, loudly. "I don't know, Timberling." Willowtail chided, using her pet name for him. "We will have to see. Would it be fair to Newtwing, Mosswing, Bayouwing, and Auburnwing if you went every time?" "No" came the dejected answer. Timberwing let his wings droop, and Willowtail hugged him. "Cheer up. Even if you don't go, you'll know the news as soon as we get back from the Gathering." Willowtail paused. "Now, go pester your siblings." Willowtail gave him a warm smile to undercut her sharp words. Timberwing turned to race off, and then paused. "Willowtail, did you ever have siblings? It seems like some warriors do, like Heronscales and Honeysong, or Gatorpool and Sepiahorn, but some don't." Willowtail paused at the unexpected question. "Yes." She said softly. "I haven't thought about my brothers in a long time." Timberwing sat down, clearly hoping for a story, based on his hopeful expression. Willowtail wasn't sure she had much of a story to give. "I had two brothers." Willowtail began, a light coming into her eyes that hadn't been there in years. "Bearheart and Badgerwing." "Badgerwing?" Questioned Timberwing with a wrinkled snout. "Why didn't he make it to a warrior?" Willowtail looked at her innocent apprentice, just out of the nursery only two moons ago. "Because sometimes" Willowtail told him softly. "Sometimes, dragons die." "I know that! I'm not a hatchling anymore! I remember when Elktooth died, when I was still in the nursery." Timberwing interjected. Willowtail looked up at the sky. Fingers of sunset were reaching gently from the horizon to brush the softest of blues, warm streaks and splashes of tangerine and rose intertwining. The beauty took her breath away for a moment, and also filled her with the courage to respond. "Timberling, that was different. Elktooth was an elder, the oldest dragon in the clan. He was a warrior before Moorstar was born! He died in his sleep, without any pain. Most dragons aren't so lucky. Being a warrior is dangerous. Badgerwing got hurt in a battle. It wasn't a fatal blow, but it got infected and he didn't get better. Years after, maybe three or four seasons before you hatched, when Bearheart had been a warrior and I a medicine dragon for seasons upon seasons, he got into a fight with a NightClan dragon passing through where they shouldn't have been, as NightClan is known to do. Bearheart didn't survive. NightClan claimed they had banished the dragon, but who knows, with them." Willowtail sighed. Timberwing stared with wide eyes. "But... medicine dragons are safe?" Without pause, he barged on. "What if my sibs die?? Willowtail?!" An expression of horror spread across his face. "Willowtail, I don't want them to go to the Gathering anymore!" "The Gathering is a night of peace" Willowtail began to assure him, but was interrupted by a rusting at the woven thorn barrier that protected the camp. Puddleleaf, the current guard of the camp, snapped awake from where he had been half dosing, and sat at attention as Mistscales pushed her way in, followed by Gysertail, Newtwing, Creekbriar, and Boulderfern. Sorawing dashed to her mother's side, joined by Cranewing a moment later, the two of them tugging Creekbriar toward the head of the camp, anticipating the call that came moments later. "Let all dragons old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath Twisted Tree for a Clan meeting!" Moorstar stood tall and proud on the highest branches of an ancient mangrove tree, twisted up and around itself as if it had gotten confused about which way it was supposed to grow, constantly shifting it's branches to new directions as it went, until it resembled a giant, alabaster bramble bush. Moorstar's eyes gleamed proudly as she scanned her rapidly gathering Clan, something Willowtail was certain was reflected in her own eyes. Timberwing still looked terrified, so Willowtail wrapped her wing around him as she guided him across the marshy ground to the foot of the majestic Twisted Tree. Moorstar waited in silence until the whole Clan had gathered, and then nodded. "As I'm sure you all know, the Gathering is tonight. The dragons attending will be Honeysong, Reedwing, Beetleclaw, Gysertail, Newtwing..." Timberwing shuddered, still under Willowtail's wing, and she pulled him closer. He stayed stiff as Moorstar continued to list names. "And Brackenbog." Moorstar finished. She cast a look up at the sky, and added, firmly, "we will leave right away." Timberwing scurried away from Willowtail as soon as the words left Moorstar's mouth. He said goodbye to each and every dragon that had been named, ending with his mother, Tawnybird, and siblings who would be leaving, Newtwing, Bayouwing, and Auburnwing. Willowtail assumed he was done when he came back to her, but instead he tried to fold his wings around her in a hug, which didn't quite work since he was so much smaller than her. Willowtail drew her wings around him, and he buried his face in her shoulder. "Be safe please, Willowtail." He begged as she ended the hug, seeing as dragons where taking to the air. "Timberling," Willowtail said, concerned. "It isn't as if this is my first Gathering. And Gatherings are nights of peace, as you know. We will all be fine." Timberwing's face was bleak as he stared over every inch of her, as if he was memorizing her. "Maybe." He said. "But I had a dream last night.... A bunch of MudClan went off into the distance... And not all of them came back. I thought it was silly, but now I'm not so sure. Willowtail, what if it was a prophecy?" Willowtail felt a bolt of fear she carefully hid. Timberwing had his first vision before he even left the nursery, so he was apprenticed as a medicine dragon as soon as he became an apprentice, unlike Willowtail, who had trained to be a warrior for a year before she had her first vision. His powers of prophecy, she already suspected, would turn out to be much stronger than hers. "We'll talk about it more when I get back, but I'm sure it will be fine. No Clan would dare fight on Gathering night." Willowtail paused. She didn't want to frighten him, but she had to ask. "Did anything in your dream seem... Especially important?" Timberwing met her eyes. "Just that... When dragons didn't come back, Claywing went after them. Somehow I knew that he was trying to bring them home." Claywing? ''Willowtail mused. She thought about the clumsy, slightly foolish, and deeply caring apprentice for a moment. He loved his Clan with his whole being, and she could see him ''trying to save it, although Claywing didn't exactly seem the type to have some sort of heroic plan. Could Claywing be the key to saving MudClan? Oh, talons and tails, Willowtail she caught herself. There is nothing to worry about. The Clans are at peace. Willowtail realized she had been still for too long, the Clan was already a bit ahead in the darkening sky. "Goodbye, Timberling!" She said as she lifted off the ground. "I'll see you when we get back." Chapter One: The moon was barely up a few feet from the horizon when dark shapes blotted the sky, and the sound of wingbeats grew louder in the soft night air. Startled frogs leapt into the water with mournful croaks as lightning bugs scattered across the muggy swamp. Dragons appeared in the entrances of the packed mud dens that surrounded the marshy clearing in which MudClan made their home. Claywing blinked sleepily as he uncurled from around his sibs and left the apprentice den, just behind Timberwing, the small, tawny apprentice bounding far in the lead of the others. Many pairs of feet hit the ground in a series of hollow thumps. Moorstar landed heavily on the Twisted Tree and spread her wings as Clanmates began to mingle and voices began to stir the lonely night. She sat and waited as the clearing silenced again. "Let all dragons old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Twisted Tree for a Clan meeting." Moorstar boomed gravely. Claywing reached Reedwing and hugged him with one wing. Reedwing leaned into him and sighed as Cranewing and Sorawing squished in on either side, making a tangle of sibs. "SandClan has no leader." Moorstar scanned her Clan as dragons who stayed behind gasped in shock and those who had been at the gathering stayed silent. Reedwing slumped a bit, and Cranewing leaned into him from his other side. Claywing gave Cranewing a quick smile she returned, before they both focused on Moorstar again. "They have split into three groups. One following Burnscar, one following Blisterfang, and one following Blazelilly. Several dragons have also left the Clan altogether." "What does this mean?" Pebblegrove cried, her dull gray scales shining silver in the moonlight. Rearing up, she flapped her wings and glared out at her Clannmates. "We need to do something!" Claywing felt a slight tugging in his heart as she spoke. Of course Moorstar would help! He hoped. "Pebblegrove." Pebblegrove lashed her tail and sank back down, glaring at Moorstar, who sighed. "We cannot do anything." Gasps rose and were quickly silenced from all corners of the clearing. One of the dragonets squeaked in alarm, and a Clan mother shushed them gently. "But surely we must help!" Gatorpool nodded, moving to stand beside Pebblegrove. She shot a grateful look at him, before lifting her chin high and addressing Moorstar again. "How can we live without seven Clans? We cannot let them be destroyed! Without one Clan, the rest fall as well!" Pebblegrove turned to her Clanmates, but was interrupted by a loud roar. "You will listen while your leader speaks!" Gorseflight, the deputy, snapped dangerously. "When she wants us to abandon another Clan to fall apart?" Pebblegrove snarled in return, digging her claws into the spongy turf. Gorseflight bared his teeth with a menacing growl, lashing his tail in fury. "ENOUGH!" Moorstar glared with eyes as cold as an ice dragon's deadly breath. "Pebblegrove, listen before jumping to conclusions. Gorseflight, control your tongue." Both dipped their heads, chastened, although Gorseflight shot Pebblegrove another glare as Moorstar began to speak again. "I do not want to see SandClan's collapse." Moorstar scanned her Clanmates regally as relieved sighs met the air. She waited for them to die down before continuing her speech. "But to interfere would cause more harm than good. SandClan would not take kindly to anyone storming in to chose a leader for them. We must let them forge their own path, and continue as we are." Red tinted scales flashed briefly in the soft light of the full moon as a warrior stepped forward. "Is there not anything we can do? A divided Clan brings trouble for the entire forest." It was Siltsun, the clan's oldest senior warrior. Claywing had heard elders say that Siltsun was older than Moorstar, even, but he doubted it. But whether he was or not didn't change the Clan's respect for the wizened mahogany warrior. The clearing seemed to hold it's breath as Moorstar seemed at a loss for words. "He's right, Moorstar." A cool voice rumbled. Heatherstream eyed her leader with serene wisdom as she flicked her tail lazily. "The seven Clans bring balance to us all, like seven strong roots evenly supporting the weight of a heavy tree. When one snaps, the tree begins to lean, and even it's sturdiest branches are weakened." "I respect your wisdom, Heatherstream." Moorstar sighed. "But as I see it, any action we takes leads to more problems for us all." Heatherstream nodded. "Perhaps, Moorstar. You are the leader. We shall all" Heatherstream paused and looked pointedly at Pebblegrove "listen to and obey your decision." "Thank you, Heatherstream." Moorstar said warmly. Her face hardened again. "For now, we wait, and go on as we are. If there is a way we may help SandClan, we shall, but for now we must simply continue on our way." A few quiet grumbles were heard, but no one protested outright. "Now" Moorstar smiled softly. "I believe some of our young ones need to sleep. It is nearly moonhigh, and many are asleep on their claws." Claywing, who had been listening attentively, cast his eyes up at the sky, then back at his sibs. Reedwing and Sorawing were fighting to keep their eyes open, and Cranewing looked like she wasn't much more awake then them. Across the clearing, Timberwing was the only one of his sibs still alert, and all the dragonets were asleep in a messy pile of tails and wings. Taking charge, Claywing herded his sibs toward the apprentice den, and bumped Reedwing and Sorawing into the nest they shared gently. Cranewing blinked at him and curled herself around them, and Claywing settled down after her, extending his wings over all of them as best he could manage. Shutting his eyes, he caught a glimpse of, across the clearing, Timberwing and Willowtail talking together in the nearly empty clearing, and a bolt of ice shot through his veins and woke him straight up. He knew already that medicine dragons being so serious meant only two things - a vision or a serious injury. Claywing knew no one was sick, and the only recently injured dragon, Viperscales, had just torn her wing membrane, and it was practically healed by now, and had never been that bad of an injury in the first place. One of them must have had a vision, or even a prophecy. Claywing shivered, tensing until he realized all his sibs were asleep already and he had not woken them. A prophecy. Claywing blinked his eyes shut. Surely it wasn't a prophecy. They would be much more worried if it was a prophecy. But still Claywing mused. I hope it isn't. The last prophecy we had was when I was just barely hatched. ''With one last jaw-cracking yawn and a forlorn rumble from his belly, Claywing drifted off to the croaks, chirps, and hoots that colored the background of his life, curled up in the warm earth that defined his comfortable home. ---- "Claywing." Claywing snuggled deeper into the mossy hollow in the ground he slept in. Reaching for his sibs and finding none of them, Claywing settled back with a sigh. "Hunting patrol, Claywing. Get up." The word hunting snapped him to attention, and Claywing was on his feet before he was entirely awake. Yarrowstem, his mentor, eyed him with a small, friendly smirk. "Come on, Claywing. The rest of the patrol is waiting." Claywing eagerly followed Yarrowstem out of the apprentice den, to find Turtlebreeze, Mosquitoreed, Frogpuddle, and Auburnwing waiting by the barrier. "It's about time!" Auburnwing said importantly, rocking back and forth on the tips of her paws. She made a leap for the barrier and was tugged back by Frogpuddle before she hit the thorns snout first. "C'mon, Auburnwing. Not so fast." Frogpuddle nodded a few feet to the right, where the exit to the camp was guarded by Swantail, who grinned at the blushing Auburnwing. "You better stop doing that so often, Auburnwing, or your warrior name might be Auburnsquished." Swantail said fondly to the furiously blushing apprentice. "Auburnprickle?" Suggested Bayouwing, trotting by to meet Troutmoss, her mentor while Viperscales was healing from her torn wing. Auburnwing stuck out her tongue at her sister and leapt through the gap in the thorns, hitting the ground on the other side with a muffled thud and cut off squeak. Frogpuddle shook his head and caught Swantail's eye before shouldering through the barrier after Auburnwing. Claywing often thought that Moorstar was hoping Frogpuddle's calm might rub off on his apprentice, but so far Auburnwing seemed as impulsive as ever. He quickled passed through the gap in the thorn barrier and out into the marsh, sighing happily as his feet hit a patch of mud. A grumble from his stomach reminded him of their mission, however. Setting out, the patrol passed Beetleclaw, Sorawing, Toadhorn, Rhinocreek, Sepiahorn, and Tawnybird, plodding toward camp in such a way that made Claywing suspect they had been the dawn patrol. As they continued walking, Turtlebreeze, who Claywing supposed must be the patrol leader, signaled for a stop. "We'll spread out from here. Yarrowstem, take Claywing and head toward the SkyClan border, and Frogpuddle and Auburnwing, go the opposite way. I'll hunt with Mosquitoreed toward the direction of camp. We'll meet here by this boulder" Turtlebreeze nodded toward a strangely oblong boulder to Claywing's left "when the sun is visible above the edges of the trees." Frogpuddle nodded and lumbered after the already vanishing Auburnwing, and Mosquitoreed stepped to Turtlebreeze's side with a small dip of her head. Claywing turned to Yarrowstem, who grinned at him fondly. "So, Claywing, scent anything you want to try and catch?" Claywing inhaled deeply and wrinkled his snout in delight at all the smells flooding his way to the soundtrack of buzzing mosquitos. ''Alligator, goat, some kind of bird, ooooh... "Hippo!" Claywing blurted, his stomach rumbling in unison with his excited yelp. "Not so loud." Yarrowstem nudged him with her wing. "You know better to make so much noise when hunting." Claywing nodded and his stomach warbled in agreement. Yarrowstem laughed softly. "Now" Yarrowstem said, switching to a quieter tone. "Isolate that hippo. What direction is the smell coming from?" "Uh..." Claywing licked his lips. "That way?" He pointed with his tail hopefully. Yarrowstem nodded and Claywing suppressed a huge smile. He rarely figured out which direction a scent was coming from so quickly and got it correct. "Alright, now how do you track it?" Yarrowstem questioned him. Claywing stopped and thought deeply. "Weeelllllll..." Yarrowstem nodded encouragingly and Claywing kept talking. "I... pull in my wings as much as I can so I can keep them from bumping into trees and giving away my position." Claywing demonstrated and Yarrowstem's small smile filled him with pride. "Then" Claywing continued, more confidently, "I get lower and step softly, watching out for sticks on the ground and branches that block my way." Claywing started to move forward, and stopped short, shocked, when Yarrowstem stepped in from of him. "One more step, Claywing. You've got this." Yarrowstem nudged him with her tail and stepped back again. Oh, bear dung! Claywing thought, his eyes wide. Next step next step next step...... The tantalizing scents of prey all around him distracted him, and his stomach rumbled again. Scent. Claywing nearly jumped in surprise as he realized what was missing. "I need to check the direction of the wind, to make sure I'm downwind of my prey and it can't scent me!" Yarrowstem nodded in conformation and Claywing's stomach grumbled, urging him to get on with it already. Claywing shivered with satisfaction when he was sure the wind was blowing in the right direction. "Can I-" Claywing broke off as Yarrowstem's nod answered his question and he crept forward, eager to make his catch. Within a minute, Claywing had the hippo in his sight. With a large leap that shook the trees, Claywing landed on the hippo's back, claws extended, and bit down. The hippo fell before it ever knew something was asmiss. Claywing beamed with pride as he helped Yarrowstem drag his catch back to the oblong boulder, where the other memebers of the patrol were waiting when they finally arrived. "Good catch!" Frogpuddle enthused, giving Auburnwing a nudge. She scowled. "Wow." Mosquitoreed added, eyeing the hippo appreciatively. "Great catch, you two!" "It was all Claywing." Yarrowstem told her. Mosquitoreed bumped Claywing's tail with hers and he ducked his head bashfully. "Alright." Turtlebreeze spoke up, all business. "Auburnwing, since you didn't make a catch, help Claywing and Yarrowstem carry that hippo. The rest of us will fly back, drop our catches, and come back to help." Turtlebreeze picked up a goat lying by her feet in her mouth, and leapt into the air, followed by Mosquitoreed and Frogpuddle. Yarrowstem heaved the hippo onto her back, and Claywing walked on one side, keeping it from sliding off. With a heavy sigh, Amberwing did the same on Yarrowstem's other side. They hadn't been walking long when Turtlebreeze, Mosquitoreed, and Frogpuddle returned. Frogpuddle slid next to Yarrowstem, giving her a small nod. She shifted so part of the hippo slipped onto his back, and Mosquitoreed and Turtlebreeze took positions on either side. With the whole patrol, the sun hadn't even cleared the trees before they were manuvering the hippo through the thorn barrier. "Whoa." Swantail said as Claywing grunted in exertion, trying to push the hippo through the barrier. "That is one big hippo!" She stood and pulled the barrier back a little more. Clay and the hippo tumbled through in a tangle of limbs. He picked himself up as Yarrowstem, Frogpuddle, and Mosquitoreed pulled the hippo toward the fresh kill pile. "Who's catch was that?" Swantail asked Claywing, settling down by the entrance again as she pulled the brambles back into place. She was eying Frogpuddle in a way that made Claywing think that she thought Frogpuddle had made the catch. "Actually" Auburnwing cut in. "That was Claywing." Swantail opened her mint green eyes wide in surprise. "Sorry Claywing." She said. "Normally you don't really..." Claywing ducked his head in shame. It was true, he hadn't really made any catches in a while, and wasn't ever the greatest at battle training or patrolling or really anything, but still, she didn't really have to act that astonished. It wasn't like he'd never made a catch before! Frogpuddle walked back over, presumably to collect Auburnwing, and Swantail brightened. "It must have been really heavy lugging that huge hippo all the way here, Frogpuddle." She chirped as he approached. He blinked and shrugged. "Sorta." "I'm sure I would never have been able to do it!" Swantail said, widening her eyes. "Well, I had help." Frogpuddle said calmly, pulling Auburnwing to his side and guiding her away toward the other side of the camp. Swantail frowned as he walked away. Claywing studied her, baffled. Yarrowstem, walking back, stifled a laugh. "What?" Swantail snapped, lashing her tail. Yarrowstem snorted and pulled Claywing away without comment. "I don't understand why she would act so weird." Claywing huffed as they crossed the clearing. Yarrowstem laughed. "You know what? Me neither. Now come on, let's eat before everyone comes back at sunhigh and demolishes the fresh kill pile." Yarrowstem grinned at him. They joined Frogpuddle, Auburnwing, and and Ottersplash at the fresh kill pile, and Newtwing darted over trailing Gysertail a minute later. "Gysertail made me pick all the loose scales off the elders" Newtwing told Amberwing with a shudder as she pulled a pair of chickens off of the fresh kill pile. "Poor you." Auburnwing said sarcastically. "I lugged a hippo all the way here from SkyClan territory." "Really?" Newtwing gaped. Auburnwing huffed at her brother. "Of course not, stupid! It was just a really, really long way! There aren't even any hippos in the mountains!" "Oh yeah" Newtwing mumbled around a mouthful of chicken. Auburnwing rolled her eyes. Claywing pulled a goat off of the fresh kill pile and settled down in a shaded corner of the camp. His eyes lit up when Hazelbush pushed through the barrier, and a moment later, a beloved face followed. "Cranewing! Over here!" Cranewing looked to Hazelbush, who smiled ruefully at her, and then bounded toward Claywing happily. He slid over to make a spot for her, which she settled into happily. He nudged his goat over, blushing when his stomach grumbled in protest. I'll just get something else later Claywing told himself as Cranewing grinned at him, nudging his tail with hers. "You goof." Cranewing told him, laughing. "Is all you think about food?" "No!" Claywing protested, hurt. His stomach warbled in contradiction. Cranewing laughed, her eyes crinkling up the way they always did when she smiled. She took a bite of the goat and then pushed the rest to him. "I'll grab something of my own" Cranewing told him. Claywing moved to take a bite, finally, and then a loud voice surprised him. He jerked his head up in time to see Gorseflight and Pebblegrove growling at each other, both crouched in a dangerous way. "We should send a patrol to check on SandClan!" Pebblegrove insisted, lashing her tail. "Moorstar said not to!" Gorseflight snapped. "Moorstar said not to interfere, not just see what's going on, talons and tails!" Pebblegrove snarled back. Gorseflight flared his wings slightly, drawing attention to his considerable bulk. "And you say going over to meddle in SandClan's buisness isn't interfering" Gorseflight snorted, rolling his eyes. Pebblegrove growled and extended her claws. "IT'S NOT INTERFERING, IT-" "ENOUGH!" Moorstar stood at the foot of the twisted tree, glaring. Gorseflight and Pebblegrove both straightened up, casting dark looks at the other. "Gorseflight." Moorstar continued in a frozen hiss. "For the last time, control your temper. Enough is enough." Moorstar turned her hardened gaze on Pebblegrove. "Pebblegrove, you know full well that the word of Clan leader is law. Do not test me." Pebblegrove gulped and nodded. Gorseflight coughed awkwardly as Moorstar turned and walked toward the medicine den, presumably to consult Willowtail. Beetleclaw, Sorawing, Troutmoss, Bayouwing, Honeysong, Reedwing, Gatorpool, and Mosswing pushed into the camp one by one. All seemed to sense that some sort of confrontation had happened, especially since Pebblegrove and Gorseflight were pointedly ignoring each other. Sorawing and Reedwing each grabbed a piece of prey and joined Claywing and Cranewing, and Bayouwing and Mosswing joined Newtwing and Auburnwing. Timberwing darted out of the medicine den and scampered to join his sibs a moment later. "What happened, Claywing?" Sorawing asked him. Claywing swallowed his mouthful of goat meat as Cranewing responded. "Pebblegrove and Gorseflight fought again." Cranewing said seriously. Sorawing shivered. "I hope SandClan find a new leader soon, whoever it is." Sorawing whispered in her soft way. Reedwing nodded. "I hate fighting." He said seriously. "Battle training is fun, but..." "Battle isn't" Sorawing finished for him. "I don't even like battle training" she said, ducking her head slightly. "You should be a medicine dragon." Cranewing grinned at her sister, but Sorawing shuddered. "Ugh, no, I'd hate seeing dragons hurt and sick. It's gross. And I don't have prophecies, anyway. And there's no way two mud dragons would have prophecies so close together." Sorawing finished, referring to Timberwing. Cranewing nudged Sorawing, seemingly sensing some sort of secret sadness in her sister. Claywing looked up as sharp voices met the air again, just as he had been finishing his goat. This time, it wasn't even Pebblegrove and Gorseflight, but Heronscales and Honeysong instead. But.. they're sibs Claywing thought with a bolt of fear. Sibs never fight! But they were. "We need to do something!" Heronscales told his sister sharply. Honeysong glared at him. "And create more problems for ourselves?" She snapped. "More problems than losing a Clan?" Heronscales rumbled dangerously. Sorawing squeaked, and both Heronscales and Honeysong seemed to suddenly realize they weren't alone. "Later." Heronscales barked gruffly, making his way toward his kids. "Heronscales?" Sorawing said as he reached them and nudged tails with each of his children. "Is everything..." Heronscales sighed. "Dragons are scared, Sorawing. I'm not mad at Honeysong, and she isn't mad at me, we're just... worried. About SandClan, and about our Clan. You might not understand yet, but... having a Clan in the balance is frightening for everyone." Heronscales smiled, suddenly. "But we're all right. The Clans will come through, I'm sure." Heronscales turned and made his way toward the fresh kill pile, which was starting to look sparse. "If he's sure... why is he fighting with Honeysong?" Cranewing questioned after a minute. Claywing felt a heaviness in his stomach that, for once, had nothing to do with hunger. Where would we be without the Clans? His train of thought was interrupted by Gorseflight. "Alright, it's time for the sunhigh patrols, and we could use another hunting patrol as well. Honeysong, you'll be leading a patrol with Beetleclaw and Sorawing, and Reedwing of course. Wait for Logscales and Boulderfern to get back from their patrols and take them as well. Patrol the SeaClan border, and hunt on the way back. I'll take Robinwood, Hippovine, Rhinocreek, Mistscales, Troutmoss, and Bayouwing along the SkyClan border. Swantail, switch out with Ottersplash when he returns and go on patrol with Toadhorn, Tawnybird, Yarrowstem, and Claywing, with Toadhorn leading, and bring back more freshkill." Dragons began to gather in clumps of assigned patrols as Willowtail's voice rang out in the clearing. "Actually, Gorseflight, I'd like to take Claywing with me to gather some herbs while Timberwing stays behind to watch Viperscales. Perhaps Yarrowstem could take Bayouwing to give Troutmoss a break?" Willowtail looked strangely anxious, as if she really cared about it being Claywing who came along, which made him a little nervous. Gorseflight snorted. "Sure. It's not as if anyone around listens to me." Gorseflight added the second bit just loud enough to be heard, looking swiftly at Pebblegrove, who held her head high, ignoring him. Yarrowstem nodded and spoke. "I'll let you take Claywing." Troutmoss dipped his head gratefully, smiling at Bayouwing when she looked put out. Willowtail smiled in a way that looked much too relived for Claywing. "Good" Willowtail said. "Claywing, are you finished?" Claywing cast a mournful glace at his half-finished goat and stood up as his stomach protested quietly. "Don't worry" Cranewing told him. "I bet Willowtail will let you catch something while you're out." Claywing smiled at her, gave his goat one last longing look, and walked over to Willowtail, who smiled at him gratefully. "Let's go before patrols start getting back and camp gets very crowded" Willowtail told him, walking toward the thorn barrier. Claywing followed at her heels and plunged through the thorns. Once on the other side, Willowtail looked up at the sky. "We have plenty of time before the sun touches the trees again. Follow me and I'll show you what we're looking for." Willowtail lifted into the air and Claywing hurried to follow her. She soon landed and looked up as Claywing hit the ground with a thump. "This is just an ordinary fern" Willowtail told him, touching the plant with a claw. "We're looking for chervil, a bush with leaves that look like this and small white flowers. We'll start searching around here and head upwards toward the SkyClan border as we go." Claywing shuffled his feet, nodding. He looked up and caught Willowtail staring at him. She smiled, but Claywing was still slightly weirded out. Willowtail turned and began walking, peering in between trees and moving vines to see what they blocked. Claywing mimicked her, and soon began to get into the swing of it. The afternoon passed as Claywing found bush after bush that seemed like chervil to him. Trees blurred together as he trudged on, determinedly scouring every inch of the marsh. The sun wasn't far from touching the trees when Claywing walked up to Willowtail, his claws aching, and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned, surprised. "How important is chervil?" Claywing asked. "Oh" Willowtail said. "It's a very useful herb, and we have very little left. It's used for infections and stomach sicknesses." "Oh" Claywing said, startled. "Like the one that IceClan, SandClan, and SkyClan got?" "Yes, Claywing." Willowtail told him. Claywing nodded and walked off, continuing to scour the forest. The sun was almost invisible from the behind the trees when Claywing felt eyes on him and turned to see Willowtail studying him pensively. "Claywing." She said. "I found some. Come help me gather it." Claywing followed her to a nearby clearing, where a few bushes stood in a small cluster. At first Claywing felt like those were the exact bushes he'd been seeing all afternoon, but once he was close, he could see the flowers were shaped very differently and arranged on the plant in a different way, though if he hadn't been trying to see differences and hadn't been up close, it would have looked like every other bush he had seen. Claywing felt disappointment rise inside of him as he tore off leaves determinedly, filling his jaw with as many as he could carry. Willowtail had a neat pile of leaves by her claws, and was bending and digging the soil around this bush. She sliced something with her claws and pulled out a tangles clump of roots, shaking the dirt off of them. Claywing gave her a questioning look, and she smiled. "The roots and leaves are both useful, but for different purposes." Willowtail told him. Without missing a beat, Claywing crouched and began digging at the base of the bush. He pulled up root after root until Willowtail put her paw in the way. "Let's leave the bush some roots, Claywing" She told him. Claywing stood and managed to fit all the roots in his mouth somehow. Willowtail picked up her neat bundle and lifted into the air. Claywing took off behind her, and almost gasped and lost his herbs when he saw how close they were to the SkyClan border. They had crossed the entire MudClan territory searching for chervil. Claywing felt a sense of pride bubble up inside of him. They had found chervil, and prepared MudClan for sickness. Minutes later, Claywing touched down in the clearing, just behind Willowtail. Reedwing and Sorawing looked up from where they were sharing a fox and waved at him. Claywing lifted his head higher as he followed Willowtail into the medicine den. Viperscales sat up in her nest, causing Timberwing to squeak and push her back down. "You can't move until I finish the poultice and it dries!" Timberwing scolded anxiously. Viperscales rolled her eyes at him as Willowtail tapped him on the shoulder. He turned and his face lit up when he saw Willowtail. "You're back!" He said, hugging her clumsily. "Wow, that's a lot of chervil" He added. "Will we even be able to use that much? We already have-" Willowtail shushed him as Claywing dropped his chervil on the ground, confused. "Oh Timberling," Willowtail chided. "We can always use more of any herb." "Besides" Claywing added "What if MudClan gets the stomach sickness?" Timberwing looked confused and opened his mouth, starting to speak. "Timberwing, put away this chervil, okay?" Willowtail told him. "Then finish Viperscales's poltice before it dries out." Timberwing nodded and picked up a mouthful of chervil, before padding to the storeroom. Willowtail laid her tail across Claywing's shoulder, and gave him a gentle smile. "Go eat, okay Claywing? You earned it." Claywing's stomach grumbled and he left without protest. He grabbed a pig from the fresh kill pile and sat down next to Reedwing and Sorawing. Both beamed at him, and Claywing smiled back. "Why were you gone so long?" Sorawing asked him, nudging him with her wing. Claywing shrugged and swallowed his bite of ham. "It took ages to find chervil." Claywing said proudly "but we did it!" Sorawing and Reedwing exchanged surprised glances. "What is it?" Claywing asked. Sorawing gave Reedwing a pleading look, and he sighed. "Well," Reedwing began, "I've gathered chervil with Willowtail before, and we just flew straight to a patch up by the SkyClan border and got a few leaves and a few roots, and then came straight back. The sun had barely moved half a claw length" Reedwing raised a paw up to the sun and drew a talon across one of his claws, demonstrating "before we were back at camp again." Claywing frowned. "Why did she have us start looking by the SeaClan border?" He asked. "Maybe... she was hoping to find a new patch?" Sorawing suggested, wrinkling her snout. Claywing opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by Cranewing plopping down next to him. "Hi!" Cranewing said cherrily. "Talons and tails, do my wings ache. Hazelbush, Gysertail, and Gatorpool had me, Newtwing, and Mosswing battle them in MIDAIR. They said dragons fight in the sky, which is true, but still! Newtwing pulled a wing muscle somewhere." Cranewing gestured to the warm brown apprentice walking slowly toward the medicine den with his wing held at a weird angle. She then smiled again and nudged Claywing with her wing playfully. "So" Cranewing said lightly "what were you guys talking about?" Reedwing and Sorawing exchanged looks while Claywing stared unblinkingly at the ground. "Well, uh" Reedwing started. "Claywing walked across the entire territory with Willowtail looking for chervil and we were wondering why" Sorawing blurted, staring at her feet. Cranewing furrowed her brow, looking entirely too concerned for Claywing. "What is it?" Claywing asked, twining his tail around hers for a moment. "I gathered chervil with Willowtail just four days ago" Cranewing said slowly. Claywing felt a sharp bolt of confusion. "Then why would she want me to help her gather more?" Claywing thought for a moment, then his eyes brightened. "I know! She wanted more in case we got the stomach sickness!" Claywing glanced proudly at Cranewing, but she still looked concerned. "Claywing, chervil doesn't heal sickness. It only lessens the stomach ache." Claywing was thunderstruck. Cranewing patted his arm with her paw, and gave him a small smile. "It could be used for helping...?" Claywing squeaked. Cranewing shook her head. "We have plenty. And she asked for you specifically, remember? It was a test." Category:Fanfictions Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete) Category:Fanfictions (Fanon) Category:Genre (Crossover) Category:Genre (Prophecy) Category:Genre (Adventure) Category:Content (ADragonDreaming881)